OAM PACKET DATA TRANSMISSION METHOD AND ETHERNET (R) PASSIVE OPTICAL SUBSCRIBER NETWORK INCLUDING CONTROL MULTIPLEXER FOR OAM PACKWET DATA TRANSMISSION METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an OAM packet data transmission method and EPON including a control multiplexer associated with the method capable of enhancing the efficiency of network management by allowing simultaneous transmission of OAM PDUs upon the generation thereof. SOLUTION: The OAM packet data is generated by an OAM controller in the control multiplexer of an OAM sublayer which transmits MAC client data transmitted from an MAC client in the Ethernet (R) passive optical subscriber network and the OAM packet data to an MAC (media access control) entity. The method and the network further includes a priority-according step wherein priority is given to the OAM packet data higher than that accorded to the MAC client data that is waiting to be transmitted in the MAC client and a step wherein the OAM packet data and the MAC client data are multiplexed according to the priority and transmitted to the MAC entity. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO